Compressed-air supply for electric vehicles.



PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

R. LE B. OWEN n R. O. LE BARON.

NO MODEL.

COMPRESSED AIR SUPPLY FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES.. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. so. 190s.

JV if Z1 Fg. .7

I .ff TC l@ t A 77'0HNE YS UNITED STATES Patented september e, 1904.

PATENTl OEEICE.

ROLAND LE BARON OVEN ANI) ROBER'I.` OVEN LE BARON, OF PONTIAC, MIO H IGAN.

COMPRESSED-AIR SUPPLY FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

SECIFICATIONforming part of' Letters Patent No. 769,565, dated September 6, 1904.

Application filed September S0, 1903. Serial No, 175,175. No model.)

Tr) ft/ 'wlw/'rb it Tit/Ly concern:

Be it known that we, ROLAND LE BARON OwEN and ROBERT OWEN LE BARON, both citi- Zens of the United States, and residents of Pontiac, in the county of Oakland and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Compressed-Air Supply for Electric Vehicles, of which the following' is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to fluid pressure brakes used on electric street-cars and other vehicles; and its object is to provide a new and improved device for automaticallyv supplying' the compressed air required for working the Huid-pressure brakes, the device being' actuated du ring' the time the electric power is shut ofi' in stopping' the vehicle, thus utilizing' the power which ordinarily is wasted.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying' drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding' parts in both views.

Figure l isa plan view of the improvement, parts being' in section; and Fig. 2 is an enlarg'ed sectional plan view of the controlling- Valve and of the automatic controller.

On one of the axles A of an electric streetcar or other vehicle is secured a pinion B in mesh with a gear-wheel BQ secured on a shaft BL', mounted to turn and to slide transverselyv in suitable bearing's attached to the vehicle. On one face of the gear-wheel B/ is arranged a clutch member B3, adapted to engage a clutch the tank F.

member C, held on a shaft O, likewise journaled in suitable bearings on the vehicle, and on the said shaft is secured a crank-arm C?, connected by a pitman D with a cross-head Vl), held on the piston-rod E of a piston R2, moving in a cylinder E, forming part of an airpump E of any approved construction and connected by a pipe E" with a compressed-airstorage tank F, carried by the vehicle. The

air-pump E is inactive during the runningof the car except when the car is about to be stopped and the power is shut off, and then the shaft B2 is caused to slide from the left to the right, so that the clutch member B3 engages the clutch member C to rotate the shaft C' from the shaft B, driven by the axle A during the time the power is shut off and the car comes to a stop. Then the shaft C is rotated, the pump is actuated by the connection described, so that air is pumped by way of the pipe E into the tank F to keep the pressure therein at or slightly above a normal working pressure for'the air-brakes. rhen the current is turned on ag'ain for starting' and running the car, the shaft B2 is shifted back to its former position, so as to disconnect the clutch member B from the clutch member C to stop the air-pump E.

ln order to impart the desired motion to the shaft B2, as above described, the following a1'- rangement is provided-that is: A fluid-controlled mechanism H is employed for shifting l the shaft B2 from the left to the right to connect the clutch members B: and C with each other, and the fluid-pressure required for this mechanism H is derived from the tank F and is controlled by a controlling-valve I. On the shaft Bi is secured a shifting-collar B4, engaged by a shifting-lever (i, fulcrumed at Gr and pressed on by a spring Gr2 to normally hold the shaft B2 in suoli position that the clutch member B3 is ont of engagement with the 30 clutch member C, as shown in Fig'. l. rl`he shifting-lever (z is connected with the pistonrod H/ of a piston H, mounted to slide in a cylinder H, forming part of the fluid-controlled mechanism H and connected by a pipe H'L with the casing I/ of the controlling-valve l, which in turn is connected by a pipe J with In the valve-easing' I is mounted to slide a cylindrical valve I2, having an annular groove I for connecting a channel a at 9C the pipe H" with a channel leading' to a pipe K, opening' into the atmosphere. The annular groove lfi is also adapted to connect the channel a with a channel c, leading' to the pipe J, so that when the pipe J is connected with the pipe Hl by way of the channels c and a and the groove F, then compressed air passes from the tank F by way of the pipe =H" into the cylinder H3 to act on the piston H2 therein to impart a swinging motion to the shiftinglever G for shifting the shaft B2 from the left to the right to connect the clutch member B3 with the clutch member C to actuate the air-pump E. Vhen the valve I2 is moved back to the position shown in Fig. Qthat is,

` disconnecting the pipes J and HAl and connecting the pipe H2 with the pipe K-then the air from the cylinder H3 can escape, and the piston H2 is now free to move back in the cylinder H3 to allow a return movement of the shaft B2 by the action of the spring G2 on the shifting-lever G. Vhen this takes place, the clutch member B3 is disconnected from the clutch mem ber C to stop the air-pump E. The valve I2 is controlled by a rheostat-leverunder the control of the motorman in charge of the electric car, and for this purpose the valve I2 has its valve-stem I4 connected with a lever L, connected by a link L with a pivoted arm N, moving with the rheostat-lever after the current is shut off and the rheostat-lever'is moved farther back ashort distance. The arm N is pressed on by a spring N to hold the arm normally against a stop N2 to retain the valve I2 normally in the position shown in Fig. Q-that is, to connect the pipes Hi and K with each other. When the rheostat-lever is moved by the motorman to shut oi thecurrent and moved somewhat beyond this position, then a swinging motion is given to the arm N to move the latter to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. Q,whereby the link L` acting on the lever L, causes the valve I2 to be moved to the right to connect the channels c and a with each other by the annular groove I3, so that air passes into the cylinder H3, as previously explained, to shift the shaft B2 and to start the pump E during the time thepower is shut off from the motor of the car and until the car comes to a standstill. When the motorman throws the rheostat-lever in the opposite direction and turns on the current, then the arm N is pulled back to its former position by the action of the spring l so that the valve I2 is returned to its normal position-that is, the pipes J and H4 are disconnected and the pipe H4 is connected with the pipe K to allow the air to exhaust from the cylinder H3. The spring G2 now moves the shaft B2 back to its normal position to disconnect the clutch members B3 and C.

In order to automatically start the air-pump E in case the pressure in the tank F falls below a normal predetermined pressure, an automatic controller() is provided, arranged as follows: The casing O of the controller is connected at one end by a pipe O2 with the pipe J, leading from the tank F, and in the other end of the casing O is arranged a plug O3, connected by a pipe P with the brake-cylinder Q of the usual fluid-pressure brake of the vehicle. A piston-rod R is mounted to slide in the casing O', and plug O3 and is connected at its outer end with the lever L, for which the piston-rod R normally forms the fulcrum when working the arm N, as previously described, and on the said piston-rod R is secured a piston R', mounted to slide in and normally seated on one end of a spring-pressed piston S, fitted to slide in the casing O against a spring S, adjacent to the end into which leads the pipe O2. A spring R2 is coiled on the piston-rod R and rests with one end on the plug O3 and at the other end on a collar R2, secured to the said piston-rod, so that when the pressure in the tank F falls below a normal pressure then this spring R2 imparts a sliding motion to the piston-rod R from the right to the left to give a swinging motion to the lever L, the link L' of which then acting as a fulcrum for the said lever. The movement of the lever on the outward movement of the piston-rod R causes a shifting ofthe valve I2 to connect the pipes J and H2 with each other, so that the Huid-controlled mechanism H is actuated to throw the pump E into gear to actuatethe same for pumping compressed air into the tank F until the desired pressure is reached. When this takes place, then the pressure from the tank F, passing by way of the pipes J and O2 into the left end ofthe casing O, exerts suicient pressure on the piston R to overcome the force of the spring R2, so that the piston R and its piston-rod R are moved back to their normal positions, thus shifting the valve I2 back to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, to allow air to exhaust from the cylinder H3. In case the pressure in the tank F rises above a normal predetermined pressure then the pressure from the tank exerted against the pistons S and R causes the same to move simultaneously from the left to the right against the tensions of the springs R2 and S, so that the valve I2 is shifted to move the latter to its normal position, thereby bringing the pump E to a stop without requiring any attention on the part of the motorman, and a subsequent moving of the arm N by the motorman does not throw the air-pump into action until the pressure in the tank F has been reducedto normal pressure.

In the plug O3 is formed a chamber O2, connected by a port CZ with the pipe P, previously mentioned, and the inner end of the said port Z is adapted to be closed by the inner end of the piston-rod R at the time the pistons R and S are moved to the right under high pressure from the tank F. As the chamber O4 is normally connected by the port l with the pipe P, leading to the brake-cylinder Q, it is evident that when the brakes are put on and the air-pressure in the tank F is but little below the normal pressure then the valve I2 is shifted to bring the air-pump E into action for raising the pressure in the tank F to normal pressure.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the pressure in the tank F is always maintained IOO IIO

above the minimum, and when the pressure is above the maximum the air-pump E does not act unless the air-pump was acting' previous to the rising of the pressure above the maximum, and if the motorman has neg'lected to set the air-pump into action it is always thrown into action when the brakes are applied unless the pressure remains nearly up to the maximum after the brakes have been applied.-

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the eiiicient area of the piston R equals that of the piston S, and the area of thepiston-rod R in the chamber OVl equals about one-fifth of that of the piston R or S and is intended to act at forty and fifty pounds pressure. Suppose the minimum pressure is forty pounds, the maximum fifty pounds, and the effective area of the piston R or S is one-half a square inch and the spring' S/ is set to thirty pounds and the spring' R2 to twenty pounds. Then if the pressure in the tank ever falls below forty pounds the air-pump is thrown in, and if the pressure rises above fifty pounds it is thrown out, and the motorman cannot throw the airpump into action. YIf the motorman throws on the brakes without having imparted a swinging' motion to the arm N, then the airpump is thrown into action if the pressure is below fifty pounds in the tank F. If the pump is working' and the brakes are applied, then the pressure can rise, say, to about fifty-six pounds in the tank F, and on a further rise the air-pump is thrown out ot' action.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A compressed-air supply for electric cars, having a compressed-air tank, an air-pump, a g'earing' for actuating' the pump from a movable part of the car, and a fluid-controlled mechanism, controlled by the operating-lever of the electric car and connected with the gearing', to throw the latter in or out of gear by fluid-pressure from the said tank, as set forth.

2. A compressed-air supply for electric cars, having' a compressed-air reservoir, an air-compressor, a Huid-controlled means connected with the air-reservoir for throwing' the compressor in and out of action, and a valve connected with the air-reservoir and controlled by the operating-lever of the car.

3. A compI'essed-air supply Jfor electric cars, having a compressed-air reservoir, an air-compressor, a fluid-controlled means having' connection with the air-reservoir for throwing the compressor in and out of action, a valve in the said connection, and means for operating the valve from the operating-lever of the car.

4. A compressed-air supply for electric cars, having' a compressed-air tank, an air-pump, a gearing' for actuating the pump from a movable part of the car, a brake-cylinder, and a Huid-controlled mechanism controlled by minimum fiuid-pressure in the said brakeecylinder, for throwing the said gearing' into gear, as set forth.

5. A compressed-air supply for electric cars, comprising' a com prcssed-airftank,an air-pump for supplying' Vthe tank with compressed air, driving' means for operating' the pump from a movable part of the car, a Huid-controlled mechanism having connection with the said tank, for throwing the said driving means in and out ot' g'ear, and a valve in the said connection, controlled by the operating-lever of the vehicle, as set forth.

6. Acompressed-air supply for electric cars, comprising' a compressed-air tank,an airpump for supplying the tank with compressed air, driving' means for operating' the pump rfrom a movable part of the car, a Huid-controlled mechanism having' connection with the said tank, for throwing' the said driving means in and out of gear, a valve in the said connection, controlled by the operating-lever of the vehicle, and an automatic controller connected with the said valve, as set forth.

7. A compressed-airsupplyforelectric cars, comprising' a compressed-air tank, an air-pump for supplying the tank with compressed air, driving' means for operating' the pump from a movable part of the car, a Huid-controlled mechanism having' connection with the said tank, for throwing' the driving' means in and out of gear, a valve in the said connection, controlled by the operating-lever of the vehicle, and an automatic controller connected with the said valve, the said automatic controller comprising a casing and two springpressed pistons movable therein, one of the pistons being' connected with the valve and the casing' being' connected with the said tank, as set forth.

8. A compressed-air suppl y for electric cars having' an air-reservoir, an air-compressor connected with the air-reservoir, a fluid-controlled means connected with the ai1"reservoir for throwing the compressor in and out of action, and means whereby the fluid-controlled means will be operated to throw the compressor into action, when the power is shut off from the motor of the car.

9. A compressed-air supply for electric cars, having' an air-reservoir, an air-compressor connected with the air-reservoir, means for operating' the compressor from a movable part of the car, a Huid-controlled means connected with the air-reservoir, for throwing' the operating' means in and out of operative position, and means whereby the fluid-controlled means will be operated to throw the driving' means in operative position when the power is shut ofi' from the motor of the car.

lO. A compressed-air supply for electric cars, having' an air-reservoir, an air-coinpressor connected with the airreservoir, means for operating' the compressor from a IOC) TIO

movable part of the car, a fluid-controlled means having connection with the air-reser voir for throwing the operating means in and out of operative position, a Valve n the said connection, and means for operating the valve When the power is shut off from the motor of the oars, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony Whereotl We have signed our names to this speoioation in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROLAND LE BARON OWEN. ROBERT OWEN LE BARON.

Witnesses:

R. LE BARON, GEO. H. DRAKE. 

